State Sen. Troy Singleton handed a ceremonial check to Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson (left) and county Department of Human Services Director Shirla Simpson on Aug. 14 to mark the inclusion of budget funds for two BurLink buses.
Burlington County is now able to purchase two new buses for the BurLink shuttle service with $400,000 in state funding secured by county officials and announced at the county commissioners’ Aug. 14 meeting.
“They (BurLink shuttles) get lots of wear and tear driving all over this very vast, very large county, so we appreciate so much (of) your support,” Director Shirla Simpson of the county Department of Human Services told state Sen. Troy Singleton at the meeting.
Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson emphasized that the funding will increase shuttle service with no burden on taxpayers.
“Burlington County strives to be welcoming and responsive to all residents’ needs, and BurLink provides an important transportation option for working families, seniors and our most vulnerable,” she noted.
“In a region with few public transportation options, BurLink gives vulnerable residents access to job centers, government offices, health-care facilities and shopping destinations.”
The state funding was part of the approved 2025 state budget and will pay for two 16-passenger shuttle buses as replacements for those with high mileage that have required frequent repairs over several years. Both new buses are expected to be used on all three BurLink routes.
“Public transportation is an essential service across New Jersey, including in Burlington County, the state’s largest county,” Singleton explained. “BurLink provides a means for thousands of residents to move about the county, including seniors, disabled, low-income workers and others who are unable to drive or who don’t own an automobile.
“This funding will allow the county to continue modernizing its fleet and will help ensure this critical service remains available for those who need it.”
BurLink provides weekday transportation service along three routes in Burlington County. Stops include the River LINE station, employment offices and other government facilities to serve communities that lack other affordable public transportation.
“Many hardworking Burlington County residents depend on the BurLink service to travel to jobs and other important locations in the county, noted Assemblywoman Carol Murphy. “Any service disruption will be harmful to those residents, so these replacement buses are critical.”
For more information about BurLink – including schedules and route maps – visit the Cross County Connection’s county shuttles page at https://driveless.com/commute-options/commuter-shuttles-by-county/.
At their meeting, the commissioners also recognized two county residents who graduated from the Burlington County Institute of Technology this year and were recently awarded foundation scholarships from the New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC).
The commissioners also motioned to approve agenda resolutions during the meeting and included this fact in their closing comments: the 89th birthday of the Social Security Act, which was signed into law on Aug. 14, 1935.
“The Social Security Act is the greatest anti-poverty program we ever created,” emphasized Commissioner Deputy Director Dan O’Connell. “ … Don’t ever throw away a program like that. It’s worked for too many and if we do the right thing by it, it’ll work for people in the future.”
